Early doubts about Tony Parker are similar to those of Russell Westbrook

The Oklahoman | May 24

Questions about the young point guard swirled around the basketball world.

Did he have the court vision to play the point? Was he too much of a scorer and not enough of a passer? Could he mesh with his superstar teammate?

After more than a decade, Tony Parker sure has answered those questions.

Ironic, isn't it, that the questions asked about the Spurs point guard early in his NBA career have been some of the very same ones asked time and again about Russell Westbrook?

As Parker's Spurs and Westbrook's Thunder prepare to square off in the Western Conference Finals, much will be made of this point guard matchup. And rightfully so. After the way the matchup went during the regular season, the series could very well turn on it.

When Westbrook held Parker to four points in the teams' first meeting this season, the Thunder won. But when, Parker went for a season-high 42 points followed by 25 points when next they squared off, the Spurs won.